The Blood of Martyrs

Catholicism & Reason | 1973 | Hayes; Hayes; Drummey

[Askel5]

Catholicism & Reason
Reverend Edward J. Hayes
Reverend Monsignor Paul J. Hayes
James J. Drummey
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.; 1973

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Faith does not fear reason

               -- Pius XII (speaking to American scholars)

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The Blood of Martyrs

There is an ancient Christian phrase which modern Catholics might well make their own. It is the triumphant cry of Christians many centuries ago: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians." It well may be used by the Catholic Church in our own day, for there have been in our time more martyrs than there were in the Roman persecutions of old. In our time, in Spain, Russia, China, Mexico, Cuba, and elsewhere, a greater number than of old have died for the Faith.

Only a short time before his death, Christ spoke of the world's hatred of Him. Then He told his followers simply: "No slave is greater than his master. They will harry you as they harried me" (Jn. 15:20). Why is it that the Catholic Church is pursued, age after age, with an unreasonable hatred? No other church can boast of such a number of martyrs in every generation. The reason is not far to seek if we remember Christ's prediction. Look for the religion today which is constantly suffering persecution, and you have the religion of Christ.

From the very origins of Christianity, not only men, but women and children also were thrown to wild beasts, or beheaded or burned to death because they would not deny their faith. The martyrs stood in the arena before thousands, and their courage left the bitterest of their enemies in awe.

The courage of the men and women martyred during the Anglican Reformation was equally remarkable. St. Thomas More, the merry martyr, even jested with the man who was about to behead him. "Assist me up, if you please," he said to the executioner. "Coming down I can shift for myself."' Or consider the final words of the Welshman David Lewis, who was canonized by Pope Paul in 1970:

Here is a numerous assembly - may the great Savior of the world save every soul of you all. I believe you are here met not only to see a fellow-native die, but also to hear a dying fellow-native speak.

My religion is the Roman Catholic; in it I have lived above these forty years; in it I now die, and so fixedly die, that if all the good things in this world were offered me to renounce it, all should not remove me one hair's breadth from my Roman Catholic faith.

A Roman Catholic I am; a Roman Catholic priest I am; a Roman Catholic priest of that religious order called the Society of Jesus I am; and I bless God who first called me. I was condemned for reading Mass, hearing confessions, and administering the sacraments.

As for reading the Mass, it was the old, and still is the accustomed and laudable liturgy of the holy Church; and all the other acts are acts of religion tending to the worship of God, and therefore dying for this I die for religion.

In each century there are stories of heroic sacrifices and suffering for the Catholic Faith. And as we come nearer to our own time, the words of Christ concerning his followers are no less fulfilled: "They will harry you."

It was G.K. Chesterton, the English convert-author, who declared that the constant diabolical hatred of the Catholic Church, the bigotry and prejudice directed against this Church, would have been more than sufficient to persuade him of the truth of the Catholic Faith even if he had not been intellectually convinced by other considerations to become a Catholic.

If you are seeking the Faith of Christ in the world today, then begin your search by seeking the Church that is most at odds with the world, just as Christ himself was at odds with, the world. Seek the Faith that is criticized for being old-fashioned and impractical as Christ was accused of being impractical; seek the Church which is looked down upon as being socially inferior as Christ was sneered at because of the place from which He came; seek the Church which is most accused of having designs on temporal power as Christ was falsely accused of making Himself a king.

Seek the Church which the world jeers at, because she claims to be infallible, as Christ was mocked for declaring, "I am the truth." Seek the Church which many are seeking to destroy, as Christ was destroyed on Calvary. Seek the Church rejected by the world as Christ was rejected by worldly men.

These are some of the signs to look for if you would find the Church of Christ in the world today.

Christ's prophetic words concerning persecution and martyrdom have been living realities in only one Church, down through the years.

During the days of glory of the pagan republic Rome, the Roman would say with pride, "I am a Roman citizen." This was one of his greatest boasts. He was proud of the republic, and of his part in it. The Church has lasted for twenty centuries, and will continue to last until the very end of the world. Her members are citizens of every land and she numbers her saints and her martyrs by the thousands. Today over six hundred million people take pride in the simple phrase, "I am a Catholic."

[Askel5]

Deconstructing the Western Mind: The Gramscian Subversion of Faith & Education. (link-o-rama)

Campion's Brag

[Desdemona]

Fabulous.

Thanks Askel!